Beverage can handling and holding attachment



Feb. 4, 1969' H. s. RATLIFF 3,425,735

BEVERAGE CAN HANDLING AND HOLDING ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 5. 1967 Figl/ 8B l6 l8 6 ,6 l l? 4 I i A i I Fig. 3

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INVENTOR.

BY An United States Patent 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Anattachment for applicable and removable use (FIG. 1) when one desires tohold and drink from a punctured beer or soft drink can. It comprises alength of metal or plastic strap, one end having a U-shaped clamp withbeadheld snap-on lugs, the other end having an oriented handgrip.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements ina readily attachable and detachable can handling attachment which isexpressly and suitably designed for use when picking up, handling andalso while holding and drinking from a can, for example, a beer orbeverage can having a puncturable top and which, as is usually the caseis also provided with an endless or encircling top retaining bead.

Briefly the attachment is characterized by an elongated strap memberhaving (1) a substantially U-shaped can clamping holder at one endcapable of being saddled over the puncturable top of said can and (2) anintegrally attached handgrip at its other end, said hand-grip beingdisposed at an angle lateral to the over-all lengthwise dimension ofsaid clamp in a manner to occupy a readily grippable and usable positionalong an adjacent side of said can.

An object of the invention is to structurally, functionally and in othersignificant ways improve upon similarly constructed and performinghandling and holding means for cans and the like, for example thedetachable can handle disclosed in the patent to Wiedemann, 2,075,685.

Unlike prior Patent 2,075,685, the present invention, as abovesuggested, is manufactured or made from a single length of appropriatestrap stock or material which can be formed to provide the clamp meansat one end and the handle means at the other end.

In carrying out the principles of the present invention the strap memberfrom which the over-all attachment is made is bent upon itself in such amanner that one end portion is elongated generally U-shaped to provide aclamp which can be readily snapped over the end of the can to bridge andattach itself to the can, the other end being formed into a simplecurvate conveniently usable handle or handgrip.

More specifically, novelty is predicated on a simple one pieceattachement wherein the U-clamp embodies a bight portion which bridgesand spans the selected end (usually the top) of the can, said clampbeing unique in that the depending oppositely disposed generallyparallel legs at the end portions have terminal ends which in turn areprovided with suitably paired outstanding lugs. To the ends desired, thelugs not only can be readily snapped into place, they underlie theoverhanging bead to, in this manner, assist in positioning and retainingthe clamp after it has been applied. It follows that the thuslug-equipped clamp functions not only to retain itself securely andeffectually hold the can but positions the handle or handgrip so that itmay be conveniently utilized.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter 3,425,735 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 "icedescribed and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like partsthroughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a beer can or the like having apunctured top, said view showing the attachinent characterized by theaforementioned lugequipped U-clamp and the readily and convenientlyusable handgrip.

FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the over-allattachment with the can shown in phantom lines.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view.

Referring now to the views of the drawing and in particular to FIG. 1 itwill be seen that the beer or beverage can or equivalent container isdenoted by the reference character A, the same having duplicate ends.The upper end in FIG. 1 is designated as the top as at B and is shownprovided with a marginal depending and reinforcing rim or bead C. It canbe assumed in this discussion of the view that the top has beenpunctured in one manner or another to provide a pouring hole as at D.

The attachment, as already set forth, is formed from a single length ofstrap metal which may be made of an appropriate grade of metal orplastic material as desired by the manufacturer. One end portion isformed or fashioned into a generally U-shaped attaching and holdingclamp which is denoted by the numeral 6. This clamp comprises agenerally flat straight bight portion 8 which bridges or spans the topof the can. One laterally directed leg which may be referred to as theleft leg in FIG. 2 is denoted by the numeral 10, the opposite slightlylonger leg being denoted by the numeral 12. These legs are adapted todepend along diametrically opposite side portions of the body of thecan. The leg 10 is provided at its lower free end with a pair ofcompanion outstanding leg positioning and orienting lugs which aredenoted at 14 each lug being generally rectangular and said lu-gsunderlying the overhanging bead C in the manner shown in FIG. 2. The leg12 is likewise provided with a pair of outstanding companion lugs 16,said lugs: being suitably curved to effectually embrace that portion ofthe can contacted thereby and as shown in the views of the drawing. Theaforementioned handle or handgrip is approximately J-shaped in edgeelevation and is denoted by the numeral 18 and is appropriately curvedand of suitable length and is disposed in a plane at approximate rightangles to the horizontal plane of the clamp 6, that is when in use. Theupper curvate end portion 20 of the handle is joined by an appropriatebend or bent portion 22 to the lower end of the leg 12 below the levelof the two lugs 16. The lower free or terminal end portion of thehandgrip is denoted at 24 and is usually, but not necessarily, spacedfrom the surface of the can in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In practice it will be obvious that the U-clamp 6 is such inconstruction that it can be readily snapped into place to assume theposition illustrated in FIG. 1. To the ends desired the bight portion 8spans or bridges the top B of the can while the legs 10 and 12 straddlethe diametrically opposite side portions of the can. Accordingly theclamp may be said to be saddled removably on the can. It is stabilizedand securely held when the paired lugs 14 at the left and 16 at theright embrace the can and assume retaining positions underneath theoverlying edge or shoulder of the bead C. Once the clamp is in place inthe manner illustrated the handle means 18 is effectually positionedwhereby the user can pick up, handle and effectually hold the can,whether it be hot or cold and can either pour the contents, or in thecase of cold drinks, can drink directly from the can in a now generallywell-known manner.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use when picking up, handling and also while holding and drinkingfrom a beer can or similar beverage containing can having a puncturabletop with an encircling and mounting bead, a readily attachable anddetachable can handling attachment comprising: an elongated onepiecefiat-faced strap member having two component parts, namely, asubstantially U-shaped clamp and a companion handgrip, said clampembodying a straight bight portion of a length that is capable ofbridging and spanning a median restricted portion of the top of the canin a manner to be out of the way of that portion of the top which is tobe punctured for pouring or drinking, as the case may be, furtherincluding a first lateral depending leg which is adapted to overhang anddepend below the aforementioned bead, said first leg having a free endprovided with a pair of integral lateral outstanding clamp positioningand retaining lugs, said l-ugs being arcuately curved and adapted toconformingly embrace the peripheral surface portion of the can withwhich they are adapted to cooperate, said lugs having straight upperedges which are adapted to underlie a segmental shoulder portion of theoverhanging bead, said clamp further including a second depending legopposed and substantially parallel to said first leg, said second legbeing likewise provided with a pair of integral lateral outstanding lugswhich cooperate with the first-named lugs in positioning and retainingsaid clamp and being arcuately bowed to contact the surface of the bodyof the can and also having straight coplanar upper edges designed andadapted to underlie and engage a segmental edge of the aforementionedbead, said handgrip being in a plane approximately at right angles tothe lengthwise dimension of said bight portion and being oriented withand connected to said second depending leg.

2. The can handling attachment defined in and according to claim 1 andwherein said handgrip is substantially J-shaped in edge elevation, saidhandgrip having an upper end which is joined to a cooperating lower endof said second leg by a bent portion which functions to locate thehandgrip in a readily usable position relative to the clamp and the can.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 230,362 7/ 18 80 Timberlake294-33 2,101,526 12/1937 Bryant 29433 2,658,788 11/1953 Crich 294-162,665,936 1/195'4- Moore 294-33 3,014,621 12/ 1961 Povitz 294-29 EVON C.BIJUNK, Primary Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 294--99

